Special Delivery 2012!!! Is your EDD 2012? Join us here.

[LYD10]

Hi ladies - i've rented a fetal doppler. i never thought i would be one of those people. but i seem to be so paranoid this time around that i went ahead and did it. my last appnt with OB was last thursday (at 11.5 weeks) and my next one is not till march 23rd (16.5 weeks), at which point they'll collect the bloodwork for the QUAD screen test.

Any pointers on doppler use? i rented mine from babybeat.com i will be here friday ( i will be 12w3d).
OMG - those guys are so nice. i called to ask if it is best to use on empty or full bladder and they told me full. also they said if i have a backward tilted uterus - which i do - it may take an additional 2 weeks to find the heartbeat and they would move out my bill date by 2 weeks so that i can just set it aside and not worry myself senseless.

they upgraded me to a bigger tube of gel for a nominal fee. very nice company.

now lets see how well their doppler works!

[MamaBoo]

I thought I'd add something that you NEED in the hospital, a cellphone charger! Mine died on me when I was in for preterm labor. I had to have hubby switch batteries with me (thankfully, we have the same type of phone). He brought me a charger the next day.

[JenMink55]

Hi Lyd! Glad you got a Doppler!!! Well, since I have used mine twice a day since 8 weeks I figured I could offer some advice! My very best advice is a full bladder and lie as flat as you can when doing it. Start very low, right at your pubic bone and work up slow.. like SUPER SLOW or you will miss it. I was able to start finding mine at 9 weeks but that early it took a good 15 minutes sometimes to locate it. Don't freak out if you don't find it right away, sometimes you have to get up, move around for about 10 minutes and try again. If you cant find it going straight up go side to side tilting the doppler at an angle, imagine it as a flashlight.
You will get SO ADDICTED to that thing LOL! I hope you enjoy every second of that beautiful HB!

Sorry I haven't been on much, work, life, blah blah blah. Just though I would share my Ultrasound is tomorrow! We are so excited!!! Cannot wait to find out if we are team blue or pink for sure

WIll post tomorrow xoxo

[LYD10]

Thanks, Jen. This really helps! I hope Doppler will bring me peace of mind rather than the other way sound we ll see.

On a different note, we got our materniT21 tests back and they are negative! Yey!

My cravings this pregnancy seem heavier than last time. I just had 4 slices of pizza. Now I feel so yucky. I better start watching this more. Urg, I can't believe I ate that much pizza. I better do better tomorrow .

[Sunshine1576]

Jen, Wow has time flown! So exciting to find out which flavor tomorrow! It's good that you've been busy at the bank, making time fly by even faster! I'm so glad you are doing well too! Do you feel you are carrying a girl or boy? Ha just for fun, I'm going with girl! I know you and dh cannot wait to find out and then let the shopping for nursery stuff begin!

[JenMink55]

HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE TEAM BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baby looks great, DR already reviewed the Ultrasound! Here is his picture below. We are stuck on two names:
Landon or Zaydon--- what do you guys think????

[anton]

**CRASHING for Jenmink**

Congratulations for having a baby boy!!!! How wonderful! I can only imagine how exciting these moments are for you and DH Keep up the good work mama!.... Landon -my vote, if I may - looks beautiful!!

anton

[kbillsy]

Jen- congrats on team blue!! that is very exciting! Landon is one of our favorite boys names too (we have quite a list going since we could need up to 3 girls or 3 boys names). We are hoping to find out at my next appointment in 2 weeks so we can narrow our list down a bit

Bliss and HappyBunny - thanks for the lists for hospital packing - those will come in handy eventually!

Lyd - curious to hear how your doppler experiences go. That would be fun to get - my husband still hasn't heard the heartbeats because he missed the couple of appointments where they did listen for them.

ttcnb - how are the babies doing? hope all is well!

Ester - hope you are enjoying your time off this week! I'm sure you can use the time to relax a bit before the home stretch until babies arrive!

AFM - I'm doing alright - I keep having 4-5 days in a row where everything is good and food is staying in fine and then I'll have 2-3 days of getting sick again - so annoying. I've had sinus issues the last few days - giving me major headache and sinus pain. I got a new humidifier for our bedroom and that seems to help - also go a massage this morning and she worked on my sinus points - feeling much better today! I'm definitely starting to show - I still think I look more chubby than pregnant, but either way there is a belly growing! Monday I went in and met with a study coordinator for a study that is happening on iron levels in women expecting multiples. She ran through what is required - not much, they just take an extra vial of blood when you go in for your standard bloodwork, and then they take samples from the cord blood and placentas when the babies are born. I decided to go ahead and join the study - participants get a $25 Target gift card and gifts for the babies. Nothing singificant but since I don't really have to do anything major, I think it is worth it and I'm all for helping science and future mamas and babies.

I'm looking forward to my next appointment (a week from Monday) and am hoping we can find out the genders. They said to eat and drink lots before the appt and hopefully the babies will cooperate.

We're starting to think about registering - has anyone had any especially good or bad experiences with different stores? We have a small BabiesRus (inside a ToysRus), a Baby Dept and a Target all within ~15 minutes of us. Up by where I go to the doctors there is also a BuyBuy Baby and a big BabiesRus so I have a few options.

[Happy Bunny]

Kbillsy: For registration, we liked Baby Depot in Burlington Coat Factory. The prices and selection in our store was fantastic. Stores vary though...

[bodie1011]

Jenn- congrats on team blue!!

[BlissfulCS]

Yay for team blue Jen!!!

[katieb1231]

Congrats on Baby Boy Jenn!!! That is awesome! Love both your names

Anybody heard from Nancy B? I think she was going in on the 15th for a c-section?

[sunshine.12]

ttcnb - congrats!! beautiful names…how are the lil ones doing now?

bliss- evie looks like an angel in the pic..did you get the professional prints from the photo shoot?

katie- olivia looks so beautiful…love the hat..so nice to read about the bonding experience of the lil sisters...

lyd - so glad that all your test came back normal…you must be breathing a little easy now..

nancy- how did it go?? guess you are busy with your lil one…

jen- congrats on team blue!!! landon is a beautiful name…

AFM - i got a new job very close to home(i can literally walk to work) which is offering very good pay and has good career prospective.. i will be joining there next week. i'm very nervous to break the news of my pregnancy. i couldn't tell them during my interview. is there anyone who switched job while pregnant?when did you break the news? i'm planning to take only 6 weeks of leave and my mom has agreed to come and help me for few months after delivery.

[Sunshine1576]

Crashing***
JenMink, I vote for Landon. Glad you are progressing along beautifully Congratulations on Team Blue!

sunshine12, yay on your new job, you will love being so close to work, and it sounds like you've gotten it pretty much all figured out already with planning a six week leave. Although sometimes maturity leave doesn't kick in until you've been there for at least a year, you might want to check the handbook to make sure. My thoughts are the sooner you tell them the easier it's going to be to schedule appts and gain their understanding and support.

[sunshine.12]

thanks a lot christy..i don't think i will be eligible for paid maternity leave by end of august. i am planning to take 6 weeks unpaid leave.. but i am worried that they will be upset that i will be taking a long leave within few months after joining and the fact that i will have to go for regular appointments. my obgyn works only from 9.0-4.0 on weekdays and her office is not close to where i live or work. so i might end up taking almost half day for appointments.

i am planning to tell them as soon as i join. but i am worried that the news will upset them and they might not be very supportive..